Monthly Archives: November 2012

I know plenty of fellow riders who will do anything to avoid riding in the dark, and for good reason. First of all, any problems being seen during the daytime can be even worse at night. Second, it’s more difficult to see obstacles and hazards. Third, it’s generally colder and less comfortable to ride at night.

It’s official. I made my appointment for Monday to slap the winter tires on the car, so in mind it is now officially winter. A reminder by the way, it’s the temperature not the amount of snow that dictates winter tire use. When the temperature is consistently below seven degrees Celsius, you road warriors need to get winter boots on your vehicle! If I were living in Calgary or Edmonton I would have been at least two weeks late but never the less it’s getting cold. There are two options, start complaining or find some strategies to make the best of it. Here’s my list of seven things I will be doing over the next four months to make the most of the cold.

Flying during the holidays means paying a premium of anywhere from 30% to 70% compared to other times of year–especially on long haul flights. Christmas/New Year’s holiday period airfares are running at an average $454 this year, up 5% from the same period last year when they were $434. Average fares during the peak Thanksgiving period are only slightly less, averaging $442, which is also up 5% compared to last year.

Over the years, I have been to the Grand Canyon a whole bunch of times, to London seven times and to Niagara Falls three times. All were wonderful excursions, but the ones I remember with the most fondness all occurred in the winter. I mention this because as one gets older, one also gets tired of fighting crowds. And winter is an ideal time to avoid the masses.

As Autumn falls upon the Pacific Northwest, two things happen. The leaves change color and weather threatens to get colder and wetter. This means it’s your last chance to take beautiful hikes under Technicolor forest canopies and that it’s also probably a good idea to have a backup plan in case of severely inclement weather. As far as hiking goes in the northwest, it’s my belief that there is one place that stands out above the rest. The Columbia River Gorge.

It’s Your Last Chance to WIN! It’s here, the last race of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season! It’s been wildly entertaining and we’ve given out over $1,000 in prizes! This race will determine the overall Sprint Cup champion so leave us TWO guesses: 1 – Who’s Gonna Win the race this Sunday? 2 –…

They call it the International Motorcycle Show (IMS), but if you’re lucky, and live within shouting distance of one of the 13 venues, it’s your local motorcycle show.

It’s that time again — it’s show time! Every year, the major manufacturers put together their displays, load some bikes on the truck, and bring their wares to a series of convention centers to show off the new year’s offerings. Some of the smaller bike makers skip the smaller venues, and just go to a few of the big city shows, but there is always an overwhelming collection of new bikes to look at, sit on and dream about at each stop on the tour.

Many of us in the so-called ‘business world’ have had the opportunity to attend a tradeshow or convention. Does it get much better than seeing another part of the country or world as part of your business travel? At the same time, you have the opportunity to expand your knowledge through seminars and break-out sessions. In my many years of experience, I’ve learned a few things about traveling for conventions.

We don’t have a lot of extra space on our bikes. In fact, some motorcycles, like my Harley-Davidson Sportster, have no built-in storage at all. But we should all make room for a basic first aid kit, especially when we ride long distances.

A few years ago, while waiting at the baggage carousel at O’Hare in Chicago, the man next to me started some idle chit-chat by saying that his wife had once tried to settle the issue of spotting her suitcase as it circled past by adorning it with purple ribbons. He said she figured that nobody would use purple ribbons to mark their luggage. Everybody always relies on red or checkered or polka dot, she figured.

Teresa Strasser is an Emmy Award-winning writer and television host, but more importantly, she is a parallel parking phenom – an important skill for navigating family vacations! Having grown up in San Francisco and migrated to New York for school, Strasser has conquered both coasts with a wicked sense of humor and a “try anything once” attitude.

With more than 25 years of experience, renowned dog behavior expert and New York Times best-selling author Cesar Millan is one of the most sought-after authorities in the field of dog behavior and rehabilitation.

As a kid on family vacations in the 60's, you'd find him in the airplane galley chatting with flight attendants, scoring airline wings or decks of cards and begging for visits to the cockpit. Later, Chris pursued a degree in international business....Why? Because of the opportunities to travel that such a career would bring.

Micah and Jenna are the creators of the travel website, Wander The Map. As a married couple always constantly on the lookout for adventurous activities, they have turned their love of travel, videography and photography into full-time effort.

Manny is the Chairman of the Hispanicize brand of Latino social media platforms, including the annual Hispanicize event, Hispanicize Wire, the Latina Mom Bloggers network and the Hispanic PR Blog. In addition, he is a major shareholder in the Being Latino platform and publishes his own personal family blog PapiBlogger.

Jason Fogelson is a freelance writer and creative director. The current Vice President of the Motor Press Guild of America, he has covered cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles for a variety of print, web and broadcast media, including Forbes.com, About.com, AOL Autos, CNN.com, the Los Angeles Times, Mazdasport Magazine and Fine Living Network.

Bryson has his own Marketing Company and has been affiliated with Best Western since 2009. Prior to that, Bryson held senior positions in both the corporate and leisure travel sectors, at American Express and Sears Canada. He also spent time at Travelweek, one of Canada's leading travel trade publications.

Dena Roché is a luxury wellness travel expert and creator of The Travel Diet, a program that teaches travelers how travel feeds your spirit, nourishes your brain AND whittles your waist. Her travel, spa and lifestyle articles have been featured in magazines like Modern Luxury, Robb Report, Great Golf, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons and other regional magazines and online publications.

By the age of 10, I had visited the Caribbean, Italy, France, Korea, Japan, Thailand and a number of destinations throughout Canada and the United States. My thirst for traveling and exploring new places continued into my adult years, and these days while most of my travels have been business-related, I manage to squeeze in as much personal traveling into my busy life as possible!

Ever since my parents threw me in the back of the car at the age of five on a road trip through Arizona, I've been hooked. Travel Junkie. The wonder of travel for me is finding the unique aspects of each destination that gives it character.

Traveling is my favorite hobby. Anytime there's an opportunity to take a trip, I will do everything I can to make it happen. Volunteering for work trips, any type of family event, and leisure travels with my own family are all my idea of fun.